Hospital, emergency staff treat fake injuries in drill

BECKLEY - About a dozen kids with arm, leg and internal injuries were wheeled into the emergency room for treatment of their fake medical conditions.

Jan-Care Ambulance Services and the Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital teamed up for a training exercise Friday to prepare for the upcoming National Scout Jamboree.

"The boy scout motto is, 'Be Prepared,' which sort of translates for us, 'Expect the unexpected,' Dr. Jim Kyle told WOAY. "You don't really think that you're going to get 10 boy scout patients in a 15-minute period, but you have to be prepared for that and think about the what ifs."

Sammantha Crist played the role of a victim.

"It was weird," she said. "I don't know. It was just -- I don't know how to explain it. Just a weird feeling. It was really cool though."

Hospital and EMS staff think the training is good preparation for the upcoming jamboree and that it can also serve the community in the case of a real disaster.

"Each hospital has its own nuances -- things that we learn -- idiosyncrasies that we pass on to the crews if something like this were to happen," Asst. Chief Troy Meadows told WOAY.

The staff treated seizures, open fractures and cardiac arrest patients. After Friday's training, they know where they'll improve.

"Communication is key to success," Meadows said. "It's talking to our patients, talking back and forth with the crews, talking to the hospital telling them what we're bringing."

Kyle agreed.

"It's got to be seamless from the jamboree site all the way to the local emergency departments," he said.